CDO Challenge Cup – Tournament Rules

LAWS OF THE GAME

All games shall be played in accordance with FIFA laws except as specifically modified by these Rules.

ROSTERS

Rosters (including coaching staff and Loan/Guest players) must be entered into the tournament’s on-line Got Soccer scheduling system no later than 5:00 pm on the Friday one week prior to the start of the tournament (March 30th).

ROSTER WILL BE FROZEN ON MARCH 31st at NOON.

The minimum required information is: Name, Date of Birth, player ID number, uniform number and gender. This information will appear on the tournament game reports to be used by the referees.

Roster Size

Age Group

Format

Max. Roster

U9-U10

7v7

12

U11-U12

9v9

16

U13-U19

11v11

18

ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Eligible players are those whose names appear on the team’s roster at check-in, are properly registered through their State association and have current player passes and medical release forms. Teams must be in good standing with their youth associations.

LOAN PLAYERS

Loan players can be added only with the approval of the Tournament Committee. Loan Players MUST be added BEFORE the Roster Freeze date.

Only 3 loan players may be added. Please indicate their home team when registering.

ANY TEAM ADDING MULTIPLE PLAYERS FROM A HIGHER LEVEL MUST DISCLOSE THIS FOR FLIGHTING PURPOSES.

A player may only play for one team during the tournament – in the event that a player is found to be playing for two teams, (from different clubs or the same club), both teams will be disqualified from the competition.

INITIAL REGISTRATION/CHECK-IN

For initial team check-in a team representative must present player and coaches passes with recent photos (laminated and on a ring) and medical release forms, signed and dated. Dates and times for team check-in are as shown below:

Out of Town Teams

Check-In Procedure for Games

Before each game, a TEAM REPRESENTATIVE needs to come to their game site's Field Marshall tent AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO SCHEDULED GAME TIME AND CHECK IN WITH CARDS. At the end of each game the team representative must return to the field marshal tent to sign the game card and retrieve the player passes.

Forfeitures

Teams failing to check-in at the site coordinator’s tent (15) minutes prior to their scheduled kick-off time or failing to report ready to play within (5) minutes of scheduled kick-off time may forfeit their match. All teams must have a minimum of (7) players present to start the match. Teams who have forfeited may continue on in the tournament.

Field and Game Equipment

Team listed first on the schedule is the home team.

Both team’s players and coaches will sit on one side of the field, while all spectators will sit directly opposite on the other side of the field. Home team will be seated on the North or East side of the field.

Spectators should be seated and at least two yards from the touch (side) line. No one may sit behind a goal.

If there is a jersey color conflict, the home team must change.

Teams are responsible for cleaning up their sideline.

Players must wear numbers on their uniforms and the numbers must coincide with the team’s roster. The home team shall provide game balls as needed during the match.

Acceptable uniform consists of a shirt, shorts, socks, shinguards and cleats. SHINGUARDS ARE MANDATORY FOR ALL PLAYERS. All shinguards must be covered COMPLETELY with socks. NO JEWELRY WILL BE WORN.

Casts/Hard Braces - If player has a soft cast, must have a doctor’s release and approval from the referee to play. HARD CASTS will be evaluated and the final decision will be made by the referee. If the CAST can be wrapped and protected it may be allowed. NO jewelry is allowed including taped earrings. Players not in compliance will be CAUTIONED (yellow carded) and sent off the field until the requirement is met.

The following are the ball, game duration and team size. (A running clock will be used. The referee will not add stoppage time. Teams guilty of time-wasting through excessive substitution will be sanctioned:

Age Group

Ball Size

Game Length

Break Length

U9-U10

4

2 x 20 min

5 min

U11-U12

4

2 x 25 min

5 min

U13-U14

5

2 x 30 min

5 min

U15-U19

5

2 x 35 min

5 min

Substitutions

Substitutions without limit may be made with the referee’s permission:

After a goal.

At the beginning of the second half of play or prior to the beginning of an overtime period.

At a goal kick for either team.

At a throw-in by the team in possession.

Limited substitutions may be made for an injury, with the referee’s permission. In case of stoppage of play for an injury, teams may substitute on a one-for-one basis for the injured player.

Substitutions will take place at midfield.

Crossover Brackets

In crossover brackets, the three teams in one group play the three teams in another group.

In ages U11 and above, the finals in crossover brackets are contested between the two teams with the highest points total, regardless of which group they come from - wildcard #1 and wildcard #2 refer to the teams with the highest and second highest points totals.

The tournament reserves the right to adjust pairings in the consolation round to prevent a replay of a group play match. The tournament will also reassign wildcard teams to prevent a replay of a group play match in a Semi-final match.

U9-U10 Small Sided Rules

U9/U10 games are played 7v7, including a goalkeeper. One (1) referee will officiate the match. Teams must have a minimum of five (5) players to start and play the game. The opposing team has to be behind the build out line marked on the field when any keeper delivery occurs and on a goal kick restart. The keeper is not allowed to punt the ball. No intentional heading of the ball is allowed.

Referees will restart play with an Indirect Free Kick (IFK) on a heading violation. All other rules conform to the Laws of the Game (LOTG), including offside.

TOURNAMENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Coaches are responsible for the behavior of their spectators on the field. ALL COACHES AND PLAYERS WILL REMAIN WITHIN THE MARKED COACHES BOXES AT ALL TIMES (If not marked, the box is assumed to be the diameter of the center circle.

The CDO Challenge Cup has a zero tolerance policy for dissent from coaches and spectators – the decision of the referee is final. Referees must report red cards to the Field Marshall for inclusion in the game report and shall complete the USYS-AZ Misconduct Report for all red cards issued.

The tournament D&A committee shall review all reports and determine if further actions are necessary. The Tournament D&A Committee will return the passes when the penalty has been completed. If the penalty has not been completed, the tournament D&A committee shall send the offending player/coach pass and the misconduct report to the USYS-AZ D&A committee.

Discipline

Any player/coach sent off (red card) will serve a minimum suspension of one game. The player/coach card will be turned in with the game report. Further suspension or action may be deemed appropriate by the tournament director and the D&A committee depending on the nature of the offense. If the player or coach is allowed to continue in the tournament, the player/coach pass will be returned at headquarters prior to the next eligible game. All send offs (red card) reports and confiscated passes occurring during the team’s last game of the tournament go to the State Association. Coaches are responsible for controlling their players and fans.

Tim Parfrey Fair Play Award

Game officials will rate the players, coaches and sidelines following each game and present this rating along with the game card to the site Field Marshall. The Tim Parfrey Fair Play Award will be handed out at the end of the Tournament to the team with the best score. [read more...]

Concussion/Head Injury Policy

Any athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury shall be immediately removed from tournament play and not permitted to return until he/she has received written from a licensed doctor. Clearance by a Physicians Assistant, RN or LPN does not qualify under the State Policy. This policy is in conformity with AYSA policies. Referee will note on the game card that player suffered Head Injury and was taken out of game. Player pass will be pulled from ring and along with completed injury report given to the site coordinator. The site coordinator will give the player a form to be completed by an MD or DO only. Players cleared before the end of tournament, must bring their written clearance to a tournament official (the site coordinator) before resuming play. If the athlete is not cleared by the end of tournament, the player pass will be sent to state AYSA office.

TOURNAMENT POINTS SYSTEM

Six (6) points for a win; three (3) for a draw; zero (0) points for a loss.

One (1) bonus point will be awarded for each goal, up to a maximum of three (3), regardless of whether the scoring teams wins, loses or draws.

One (1) bonus point will be awarded for a shutout, except for a 0-0 draw.

Should any team forfeit, the opposing team shall be awarded ten (10) points. Depending upon the circumstances, the forfeiting team may be barred from future CDO Challenge Cup tournaments, and will be reported to their state association.

Minus one point (1) for a player/coach red card.

Tiebraker

If a tie on points exists between two teams after all games in the group stages are completed, the following methods, in the order listed below will be used to resolve the tie:

Head to head competition.

The team with the fewest number of goals allowed.

The team with the most goals scored, up to a maximum of three (3) per game.

Kicks from the mark. Kicks will be taken in accordance with FIFA rules until a winner has been declared.

Further Information - three way ties/crossover brackets:

In the event of any three way tie, eliminate tiebreaker 'A' (head to head) and and go through the other tiebreakers B, C & D.

If identical results create a three way tie so the usual tiebreakers do not separate the teams, follow the instructions below.

If all three teams are tied after the group stage in a three team bracket, (eg. all teams win one game and lose one game by a score of 1-0), all three teams roll dice. The highest score advances as group winner, the lower two scores perform kicks from the mark to determine 2nd place. The team managers/coaches will be contacted by the tournament committee to arrange the time/location of this shootout.

In a crossover bracket leading directly to a championship game, if identical results create a three way tie so the usual tiebreakers do not separate the teams, (e.g. all teams in one group cross over and beat all teams in the other group 1-0 in every game), follow the same process as in the paragraph above.

Tiebreakers in Semi Finals/Championship Games

Ties at the end of regulation will be resolved only for semi finals or championship games. Ties for semifinal & championship games will be settled by kicks from the mark immediately following the end of regulation play with the players on the field when the final whistle blows – no substitutions may be made after the final whistle, although a team may swap goalkeepers provided the alternate keeper was a player on the field at the final whistle.

Awards Presentation

All the awards will be given out immediately following the last game or following the last game where team placement can be determined for each flight at the field site.

Tournament Inclement Weather Plan

In the event of inclement weather, the Tournament Committee reserves the right to modify all Tournament Rules to safely and fairly complete the tournament. The Tournament Committee decision will consider the health and safety of the players, but also the need to prevent the destruction of the fields and facilities, some of which are operated by organizations we have no control over.

Coaches are asked to remain flexible to the changes in fields/locations as required and to keep in contact with tournament officials for these changes. CDO Challenge Cup tournament information can be found on our hotline number 520-820-0766, on our website www.cdochallengecup.com, or follow @CDOChallengeCup on Twitter for any pertinent weather/field updates.

The policies for the games are:

All games as scheduled.

Eliminate pre-game warm-up on fields.

Implement item “B” above plus shorten all first round (preliminary) games, with game length to be determined by tournament officials, (all games must be of equal length).

Implement items “B” and “C” plus shorten all semi-final and final games.

In the event the fields become totally unplayable or the weather becomes a safety risk, it may be necessary to decide some matches with FIFA penalty kicks or cancel the tournament play and send the teams home. Tournament placement will be determined by standings at time of tournament stoppage .

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

Once a team is accepted to participate in the CDO Challenge Cup, they shall agree to release, hold harmless and indemnify the CDO Soccer Club / Arizona Youth Soccer Association / Pima County Junior Soccer League/ The City of Tucson (and their field complexes) / Pima County Parks and Recreation (and their field complexes), Oro Valley Parks and Recreation (and their field complexes) and all of the Board members, officials, coaches, referees, sponsors and their employees, agents, officers and directors of the aforementioned entities from any and all liability for injury, or damage to persons, property, or economic interests connected with or arising out of any action taken by them in good faith or out of any failure by them to act. In the event of inclement weather or other uncontrollable force of nature or event, the Tournament Director, the City of Tucson, Pima County Parks and Recreation and Oro Valley Parks and Recreation shall be the sole and exclusive judge of whether the tournament shall be held, canceled, continued or postponed and we hereby release the CDO Challenge Cup and all of the persons or entities mentioned above from any and all liability for direct or consequential damages resulting from the exercise by them of such judgment and recognize and accept all decisions of the tournament as final without objection, appeal or compensation whatsoever. We certify that each player registered by us for the tournament is covered by an approved insurance plan. Payment of entry fee and acceptance to tournament constitutes acceptance of: Release of Liability, tournament guidelines, format and Tournament Rules.